The Muscular System

  • articul/o: joint

  • card/o, cardi/o: heart

  • duct/o: to lead; to carry

  • electr/o: electricity

  • fasci/o: fibrous band; fascia

  • fibr/o: fiber

  • flex/o: to bend

  • kines/o, kinesi/o: movement

  • lei/o: smooth

  • muscul/o: muscle

  • my/o, myos/o: muscle

  • myocardi/o: heart muscle

  • neur/o: nerve

  • orth/o: straight; normal

  • ped/o: child; foot

  • plant/o: sole of the foot

  • radi/o: X-rays

  • rhabd/o: rod-shaped

  • sarc/o: flesh; connective tissue

  • son/o: sound

  • tax/o: coordination; order

  • ten/o, tendin/o, tendon/o: tendon

  • tens/o: stretched; strained

  • ton/o: tone; tension

  • vers/o: turn; turning

  • a-, an-: not; without

  • ab-: away; away from

  • ad-: toward

  • bi-: two; both

  • brady-: slow

  • circum-: around

  • dorsi-: back

  • dys-: painful; difficult

  • e-, ex-: out; away from

  • hemi-: half

  • hyper-: above; above normal; excessive

  • hypo-: below; below normal; deficient

  • -ac, -al, -ar, -ic: pertaining to

  • -algia: pain

  • -asthenia: weakness

  • -cele: hernia; swelling; protrusion

  • -ceps: heads (attachments)

  • -dynia: pain

  • -ectomy: surgical removal; excision

  • -esthesia: sensation

  • -gram: record; image

  • -graphy: process of recording

  • -ia: process; state; condition

  • -itis: inflammation

  • -logy: study of

  • -lysis: breakdown; separation

  • -malacia: softening

  • -oma: tumor; mass

  • -paresis: weakness

  • -penia: deficiency

  • -plasty: surgical repair

  • -plegia: paralysis

  • -plegic: pertaining to paralysis

  • -rrhexis: rupture

  • -scope: instrument used to view

  • -scopy: visual examination using a scope

  • -tomy: process of cutting; incision

  • tonia: tone; tension

  • trophy: condition of growth or development

  • automaticity - the ability of a muscle to contract without the involvement of nerve supply. Properties of visceral, smooth, and cardiac muscles

  • contractility - the ability of a skeletal muscle to contract (shorten); for example, the biceps muscle contracts when the arm is flexed.

  • elasticity - the ability of skeletal muscle fibers to resume their resting length when a stretching force is removed; for example, when a spring is stretched and then released, it returns to its original position.

  • excitability - the ability of a skeletal muscle to receive and respond to a nerve impulse by contracting. For example, nerves send a message to the heart muscle, and the heart pumps blood through the vessels throughout the body.

  • extensibility - the ability of the skeletal muscles to be stretched. Extensibility is evident in the hamstrings and calf muscles during a toe touch, for example.

  • origin of a muscle is the attachment site that does not move when the muscle contracts

  • the insertion is the attachment site that moves during muscular contraction.

  • Abduction: Movement away from the body's midline.

  • Adduction: Movement toward the body's midline.

  • Inversion: Turning the sole of the foot inward.

  • Eversion: Turning the sole of the foot outward.

  • Elevation: Raising a body part.

  • Depression: Lowering a body part.

  • Flexion: Bending; moving two body surfaces closer together.

  • Extension: Straightening; moving a limb after it’s been flexed.

  • Hyperextension: Bending beyond the normal range.

  • Dorsiflexion: Flexing the foot upward (toward the shin).

  • Plantar Flexion: Pointing the foot downward (away from the shin).

  • Rotation: Movement around a body part's longitudinal axis.

  • Medial (internal) rotation: Rotation toward the midline.

  • Lateral (external) rotation: Rotation away from the midline.

  • Pronation: Rotational movement of the forearm with the palm facing downward.

  • Supination: Rotational movement of the forearm with the palm facing upward.

  • Circumduction: Circular movement of a limb.

  • Frontalis: Forehead; raises eyebrows, wrinkles forehead.

  • Trapezius: Upper back and neck; extends neck, elevates, adducts, and rotates scapula.

  • Deltoid: Shoulder; abducts, flexes, extends, and rotates arm.

  • Pectoralis major: Chest; flexes, adducts, and rotates arm.

  • Triceps brachii: Posterior upper arm; extends forearm.

  • Biceps brachii: Anterior upper arm; flexes arm and forearm, rotates hand.

  • Latissimus dorsi: Midback and lower spine; extends, adducts, and rotates arm.

  • Abdominal muscles: Ribs to pubic bone; flex and rotate the trunk.

  • Gluteus medius: Medial buttocks; adducts and rotates thigh.

  • Gluteus maximus: Outer buttocks; extends and rotates thigh.

  • Sartorius: Anterior thigh; flexes and rotates thigh, flexes leg.

  • Biceps femoris (hamstring): Posterior thigh; extends thigh, flexes and rotates leg.

  • Rectus femoris (quadriceps): Anterior thigh; flexes thigh, extends leg.

  • Gastrocnemius: Posterior calf; flexes foot and leg.

  • Tibialis anterior: Anterior lower leg; dorsiflexes and inverts foot.

  • amb: Ambulate (walk)

  • CAT: Computerized axial tomography

  • CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

  • CTS: Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • DMD: Duchenne muscular dystrophy

  • EMG: Electromyogram

  • Hx, hx: History

  • IM: Intramuscular

  • MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging

  • NSAID: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

  • OTC: Over-the-counter

  • PCP: Primary care physician

  • PT: Physical therapy

  • Q8H: Every eight hours

  • RICE: Rest, ice, compression, elevation

  • ROM: Range of motion

  • wt: Weight

  • y/o: Years old